How to honour Mandela

THIS week has been one of great uncertainty for South Africans after the news of Nelson Mandela’s illness, as he remains in a critical condition in a Pretoria hospital.

Everyone from President Jacob Zuma to ordinary people on the street have been offering prayers and well wishes for the ailing statesman. And while most people are praying for his recovery, there is a growing acceptance that at 94 years old, a frail Madiba may not be with us for much longer.

However, this sense of the inevitable has also led to a curious state of paralysis on the part of sectors of society.

This week, both Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the KwaZulu Natal Cricket Union (KZNCU) postponed their annual awards ceremonies out of respect for the former president.

CSA said it believed it was “inappropriate” to hold these celebratory functions which was to include a gala dinner, breakfast function and golf day “at a time of national concern for Mandela”.

“They will now be re-scheduled for a future date which we’ll advise in due course,” CSA said in a statement.

There have been other organisations which have also postponed long-scheduled events out of respect for Mandela.

The breakfast function and golf day may well be deemed inappropriate at this time but surely the CSA gala dinner to honour the country’s finest cricketers should have been allowed to continue, and a more worthy course of action would have been to have held the banquet in honour of Mandela. Perhaps even a special award in recognition of his immense contribution to this country.

No one outside of his innermost circle of family and medical experts can truly know how much longer the former president still has.

The occasion of Mandela’s eventual passing will surely be the time for us as a country to pause – and cancel whatever engagements we may have had – in honour and memory of a giant among men. But for now we should honour his legacy by continuing to work hard at building the South Africa he envisioned and fought so bravely for.